She's Scared to Breathe
by Byzinha Lestrange
Summary: He wondered for so long where that androgynous girl went. And she wondered what happened to the metal guy. / Franky/Rich because I'm insane and rated M because of reasons.
1. Beginning

**A/N**: Oh Gosh, I'm here again.

Before you start, let me tell you a few somethings: I shipped Franky/Rich since day one, back to season 5, and I must say I wasn't such an enthusiastic of Hardlet (and I hated their "wedding storyline in season 5), until, well... until season six. I'm being honest with you guys. I just really loved them when they where perfect, because they were perfect and then, Grace was dead D; She died. JUST. BECAUSE. THEY. WERE. PERFECT. MOTHERFUCKERS :(

S6's Franky went crazy, that's true. And at some point I was like "how have I ever even thought about pairing these two? I'm never gonna do this again, it's impossible."

LOL, the season ended and here I am. Oh, boy. How can I, how do I dare? I don't know either.

The fact is: I'm shipping them again, hard enough to write. Arg, I'm insane. And I understand if you're not interested. I mean, I don't actually can see it happening. Or I can. I mean, it's more obvious that Rich will find someone, yes, that has NOTHING to do with the gang, and I **can't** picture him with Liv AT ALL. Him and Franky is interesting, they are. I'm gonna try and show it with this fic. Hope I'll do it right.

ALSO, this is not beta read. I need a beta, btw, because my two options are too busy :( Volunteers?

**One more thing**: this fic is parallel to "Under my Skin" because of reasons.

The other day I was looking around for a fanfiction and started to read one of a spanish girl and I swear I tried, but her english sucked so much, I couldn't go through half a page. I'm sorry, I give you guys that feeling, I just can't stop writing. ._.

**Disclaimer**: I do not owe these characters or its performers, they're all from Skins. That's sad. Dakie Blue is my baby doll and Alex... it's unfair. Their faces are unfair :(

The epigraphy is from David Levithan's "_The Lover's Dictionary_" because I love that book too much and yes, I got the title from Rihanna's "_Te Amo_".

k, bye

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**She's scared to breathe**

"_I imagined you saved my life. And then I wonder if I'm just imagining it."_

_David Levithan_

**1. Beginning**

He liked her better when she was the new weird girl – he used to think. When she was quiet and mysterious; intriguing and lovable. Before all the crap that haunts their lives even now and made her a crazy bitch.

She liked him from the beginning, because they kind of had a lot in common. He was sarcastic, he defended the things he believed, and he was original in his own way. She kept thinking he was amazing even after all the crap that drove him crazy and haunts them even now.

He wondered for so long where that androgynous girl went. And she wondered what happened to the metal guy.


	2. Partner in Crime

**2. Partner in crime**

They never saw each other as more than friends, though, because it's was silly and unacceptable. It never crossed their minds, actually. They were more than that, they were partners in crime. She had found a sophisticated version of Dean. They'd get drunk with the gang, went picking pockets, testing drugs and talking about love – his beloved ballerina, her mysterious crush.

What are the odds, they always asked, of falling in love? How can it change your life? How dangerous that could be?

They learned all that pretty well.


	3. Crib

**3. Crib**

"_Hardbeck?_" Franky's voice sounded husky and tired on the phone, but somehow clean.

"Yes, Franks?"

"_Is she born already?_"

"Yes! You should've been here! A lot of screaming and crying… kinda fun." She laughed.

"_Did you see her?_"

Rich made a sound like a laugh "In fact, I'm looking at her right now. Want me to describe her? I'm gonna describe her: she's ginger." He was interrupted by a long 'awn'. "She has quite a lot of orange hair for a newborn baby. Her eyes are blue, bight blue, like Mini's. The whitest baby I've ever seen."

"_Oh, how sweet!_"

"She's beautiful, really. I'm really surprised."

"_RICH!_" Franky laughed and he laughed too. After that, they fell into awkward silence. Rich was the first to speak again.

"I don't think you called me to ask me how she is, Frankster." He said calmly. "You are heading over, right?"

She waited a few seconds to answer, something new in her voice, like excitement. "_Actually no. I wanted to know if you can meet me at the mall._" She intoned it as a question and Rich frowned.

"Why?"

"_Well… I need your help with something_."

"Help? Franks…"

"_It's important! It's for the baby. Would you help me?_"

"For Little Grace?"

"_Yes_." There was a pause. "_Meet you in half an hour?_"

He shrugged. "Sure."

The thing was Franky saw Mini watching a purple and white crib since she was six months far, but it was too expensive even for Franky buy it. She knew that – just like her – Rich wouldn't be in Bristol for long now, so he'd want to give something long-lasting to Little Grace, so she bought him a frappuccino and made her offer: 50/50. Little Grace'd have the crib her mother dreamed about and Mini and Alo one less thing to worry about.

Rich looked to the crib for a long minute, serious, thinking. When he felt that Franky was getting nervous, he smiled.

"Cool. Let's do it."


	4. Brain

**A/N**: OH HI! I got blocked :( Because I broke some sort of rule I don't think I really did, but what can we do? shrug~~

Two more chapters for yall. Hope you guys stick around. Reviews are appreciated.

xoxo

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**4. Brain**

When he got his letter to Cambridge, he ran around the house screaming, blasted some metal on his speakers and played air guitar until someone made him stop.

When she got her letter from Paris 8 – waiting for her in her bed, after she met with her mother, knowing Clara better, buying baby's stuffs and helping a new family to make guy bedroom into a newborn bedroom – she froze.

"DAD?" She yelled, not daring to touch the letter. "WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?"

"That what, Franky?" Geoff yelled back and she raised an eyebrow, suspicious.

"That motherfucking letter on my bed. What's that?"

"I don't know, Franks." Geoff said, now at her door. "It's for you. It has P8's logo in it, so I thought you'd like to open it yourself. You signed for P8, right?"

She swallowed slowly and nodded, a lump in her stomach. She just has had a talk with Rich about getting into a Uni and how he was the brain of the gang. He replied with a "Fuck off, I worked my ass off! You're the brilliant one. I bet your letter is waiting for you."

"Go on." Geoff stimulated, making her wake up.

With numb fingers, Franky opened the envelope, her brain failing to understand the words in French on the first try. She blinked a few times and read it again, forcing herself to think in French.

"Fuck." She whispered. Geoff poked her.

"So?"

"I'm fucking in." her voice was low and surprised.

"You're in?" Geoff said louder. It made her smile.

"I'M IN! I DID, DAD, I'M IN!" She jumped a few times and embraced her dad happily, unbelieving that was actually happening.

"We need to celebrate! JEFF! FRANKY GOT INTO P8! You deserve it so much, sweetheart." He said and kissed her forehead, before go downstairs. "JEFF?"

She looked at the paper again and texted him. _You fucking prophet_.


	5. Bridesmaid

**5. Bridesmaid**

"_Hey crazy bitch!_" Mini said loud by the phone and Franky laughed.

"Hey!"

"_How's Paris?_"

"Oh, you know… Enlightened and romantic, same old, same old. Why?"

"_Nothing… nothing. I was just thinking we… Alo and I should go to Paris for… our honeymoon_."

"That'd be awe-WAIT, WHAT?" Mini just laughed. "SERIOUSLY? OH, MY GOD!"

"_He proposed yesterday! And Franks, I need you to…_"

"Yes, I'll totally do your wedding dress, of course!"

"_Yea, but…_"

"I think you might want to stick with traditional, since you guys have this kind of pure adorable love…"

"_Franks…_"

"I'm already picturing it. Light and white. Some details in light pink… I need to draw it right now."

"_FRANKS! Chill! Listen to me_."

Franky paused, realizing she was talking non-stop and very loud. People were staring.

"_Calmer?_" Mini said and waited a few seconds to continue on "_I want the dress, yes. I bet you're gonna make the most beautiful wedding dress. But I also want you to be my bridesmaid_."


	6. Odds

**6. Odds**

They were so drunk.

Okay, there spent the year at university, attended the craziest parties they could imagine and everything, but that was their best friends fucking wedding. They HAD to be wasted. It was a good thing that one of Alo's cousins was recording everything, because Rich wouldn't remember shit about his speech the next day.

The Hardbecks had their own table, but he chose to sit with Franky, Liv and Nick and remember the good times – that weren't so long ago, to be honest. They made this game where every time they heard someone say "congratulations", they'd turn a shot.

It made them the drunkest before 10p.m.

"Liv…" Nick said slowly, his eyes out of focus. "You always have the best drugs. I love you."

"Yea, yea, I know, what would be of you guys without my dealing skills?"

Rich laughed a "haha" raising his beer like he was about to make a toast (again). "By skills you mean boobs, right?"

"Very funny, Hardbeck." She barked back fast. She was going to say something more, but a bouquet landed in front of Rich. They all looked up and saw Mini laughing.

"Fucking bitch, didn't called us to try and catch the bouquet!" Liv said, while Rich argued with the bride.

"Actually, she did." Franky said, putting her glass on the table. "I saw Rider almost getting up to go there."

"What?"

But Franky didn't answered Liv anymore; she had turned to Rich.

"What are the odds, Hardbeck? Must mean something."

"It mustn't." he replied annoyed, but too drunk to really care.

"Give it to me, then." Liv said, reaching to take the flowers, but he was faster and held it out of her reach. "I could use some wedding luck."

"My bouquet."

He kept holding it until the next morning.


End file.
